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Want an easy way to plan and save for your next Disney vacation while earning some $$ to use on those souvenirs and extras? Consider a Disney Vacation Account.

This handy account allows you to set your budget and make automatic payments directly into your Disney Vacation Account from your debit or credit card on a weekly, every two weeks or monthly basis. You can save for trips up to five years ahead and there are no fees for the service.

The benefit of using this account is that it not only helps to effortlessly track your saving progress, but for every $1,000 you spend towards qualified vacation purchases prior to December 17, 2017, you will earn a $20 Disney gift card! Free money is always a good thing. Your account must be active for 120 days prior to your vacation in order to qualify for the gift card. You should order your cards at least 4-6 weeks prior to your vacation to allow time for delivery.

If you are still trying to decide what to do with that tax refund….think about a vacation of a lifetime at Walt Disney World Resort!

The buzz and rumors of a Disney savings account have finally been confirmed with the introduction of the Disney Vacation Account. This exciting new FREE product will allow guests to save for vacations and track their progress through the Disney website.

What is it?

Disney’s Vacation Account is savings plan that allows you to establish a budget in order to save for your next Disney trip.

The following destinations are included in this plan:

Walt Disney World

Disneyland

Disney Cruise Line

Adventures by Disney

Aulani in Hawaii

How Does It work?

The first step of the process is to create your budget.

You will choose your destination and then navigate through the website using links that ask you to select your vacation options including;

Resort

Theme Park Tickets

Disney Dining Plans

Resort Shopping and Entertainment

Air Travel (if you are booking through Disney Travel)

This part of the process does take a little work because you must navigate through the site, get the pricing details and then go back and personally fill in the budget.

Have a pen and paper handy so you can record the prices to add to the Account Budget Estimator.

Creating Your Account

Once you know how much your vacation will cost, you will set up your account.

You are permitted to save up to 5 years prior to your vacation.

The options given for savings are; every week, every two weeks or every month.

The funds are drawn directly from your debit or credit card. Disney gift cards can also be used to fund the account!

Disney has also added a fantastic visual tracking scale that lets you see your savings progress.

Reaching Your Goal

When you have reached your budget goal, you may use your savings account to book your vacation either on the phone or through the website. Destinations by Disney can only be booked via phone at this time.

For every $1,000 you spend using your Disney Vacation Account, you will be given a $20 Disney Gift Card. This offer is good for vacations taken by December 15, 2015 and your account must be open at least 120 days. Request your gift cards at least 4-6 weeks in advance of your trip to ensure they are mailed in time!

My Thoughts

After going through the website today and creating a mock vacation, I must say that this is truly impressive. The $20 Disney Gift Card incentive for every $1,000 spent is a fantastic incentive. Although the account is non-interest bearing, the gift cards and the ease of the account alone make it worthwhile.

The only downside to the process was the estimating of the budget. It would be nice if Disney allowed you to walk through the planning and prefilled the budget using the results of your options. Having to write down the costs of the trip and then go back and add the costs back into the calculator seemed strange. Hopefully this will be corrected in the future.

Overall, I think this is a really exciting addition to the excellent services that Disney offers to guests and I will be using it in the future. It would be a great savings tool for both families and those planning an upcoming honeymoon in order to stay within a budget.